Chicago’s New Dynamic Duo: Cubs’ Ace and Slugging Teammate form Exciting Partnership

After finishing each of the last two seasons with an 83-79 record and in second place in the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs decided to turn up the dial this offseason and have been one of the more active teams.

Signing Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea to bolster their pitching staff, and trading away Cody Bellinger to remove his poorly aging contract from their payroll among other moves, the club looks to already be in a better place now than they were one year ago.

In perhaps the biggest move of the winter, the Cubs fleeced the Houston Astros to acquire superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker. The package that came from the North Side included only an inconsistent third baseman in Isaac Paredes, a reliever in Hayden Wesneski, and a prospect in Cam Smith.

It is a trade that has had Chicago fans buzzing, and one that even the other players on the team are excited about, as well.

“Anytime you add a bat like Kyle Tucker to the team, in the lineup, even the way he plays defense is incredible,” Justin Steele said on a recent episode of the “North Side Territory” podcast. “I played a ton against him in High-A and just remember thinking this guy is going to be a stud.”

While the two may have faced off “a ton” in High-A, they have only gone to war for three plate appearances in MLB. Tucker has gotten the upper hand in those, tallying one double and one RBI.

“He’s still young, great left-handed swing, plays defense really hard,” Steele continued. “He’s only gotten better every single year. He’s a fun player to watch and I’m excited to get around him.”

Tucker’s brilliance on both sides of the field has flown mostly under the radar throughout his career. While the accolades have been there with three American League All-Star appearances, one Silver Slugger, and one Gold Glove, the slugger has still been widely overshadowed by numerous Astros pitchers and other offensive weapons.

Now with the Cubs, Tucker looks to be the face of the franchise, even if that face only sticks around for one year.

2025 is shaping up to be a promising campaign on the North Side, and the fireworks are sure to come in abundance with Kyle Tucker now donning the blue pinstripes.